Chiswickite - formerly The Croydonian

Sir GILBERT PARKER asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he had yet received any reply to the protests lodged by the British Government against Mulai Hafid's treatment of prisoners; and whether any assurance had been given that punishment involving-mutilation or lingering death shall cease?

The UNDER SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Mr. T. McKinnon Wood) The representatives of all the Treaty Powers at Tangier have signed a collective note of protest to the Sultan which was despatched to Fez on the 3rd instant. There has been no time as yet for an answer to be received.

Mr. HART-DAVIES asked whether the traffic in arms by way of Muscat and the Persian Gulf exists in quite undiminished vigour; and whether there is any hope that the Brussels Commission will, within a reasonable time, formulate any international means of dealing with this admitted evil?

Mr. McKINNON WOOD The arms traffic in the Persian Gulf still exists on an extensive scale, and the matter is being considered by His Majesty's Government. I cannot answer the second part of the quesion until the Brussels Arms Conference, which is to meet again on 4th December next, has reached a conclusion.

Mr. CHARLES CRAIG asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland if he can state who were the persons who appeared before the Statutory Commission of Queen's University in Belfast, under the Irish Universities Act, 1908, to request the Commission to include scholastic philosophy in the arts curriculum of that university; and what other subjects did they ask to be included in the curriculum?

Mr. BIRRELL I understand that three members of the Senate of the Queen's University, Mr. John Burke, Mr. Patrick Dempsey, and Mr. Charles L. McLorrinan, came to lay their views upon the organisation of the University before the Belfast University Commission. They asked that provision should be made for philosophical teaching such as Roman Catholics could attend without danger to their faith.

Captain CRAIG Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that no other denomination except the Roman Catholics have applied to the members of the Commission for special facilities?

Mr. BIRRELL I do not know if it is a fact, but I have no doubt that it is so. It shows that they are satisfied with the system of teaching already there.

Mr. GRETTON Is logic much studied in Ireland?

Mr. BIRRELL I trust so.

Mr. T. SUMMERBELL asked whether the right hon. Gentleman is aware that there is a general desire in British Guiana to establish a banana industry; and whether the Government can do anything by way of encouraging an export trade in bananas?

Captain CRAIG Is this extraordinary increase year by year in those quack medicines to be attributed, to a certain extent, to the fact that the label put on by the Government in order to collect the duty is taken by certain of the poorer classes to mean that the contents have Government approval?

Mr. HOBHOUSE I do not think so. There has been no extraordinary increase. It is only an increase of £324,000 to £334,000.

Captain CRAIG That is an increase of £10,000 for duty alone on the sale of these medicines.

Mr. JOYNSON-HICKS asked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the refusal of the Devon County Council to erect warning signs, under the provisions of the Motor Car Act, 1903, unless the sum of £50 was contributed towards the cost thereof by private persons or organisations...

Mr. BURNS I have had some correspondence with the Devon and Cornwall Automobile Club and the Devon County Council on this subject. I learn that, after a conference between a sub-committee of the council and some members of the club, the council came to the conclusion that they would only be justified in incurring expense in erecting notices if a part of the cost were provided from sources other than local funds. I have no power to compel the county council to erect these notices.

Mr. HUNT (Con) asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of £100 spent on average champagne would be paid to the State as duty; how much of £100 spent on mild ale, as usually drunk by the working classes, after the Finance Bill has passed, would go to the State as duty; and how much of £100 spent on ordinary whisky, as usually drunk by the working classes, after the Finance Bill has passed, would go to the State?

Mr. LLOYD-GEORGE I am afraid the information given in the question is not sufficient to enable me to work out the problem which the hon. Member has set me.

Mr. TALBOT asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the exposure for sale of picture postcards of an indecent character, and to mutoscopes at railway stations of similar character; and whether he can take steps to check such breaches of the law?

Mr. GLADSTONE The police take action in all cases of the nature referred to which come to their notice, and which can be brought within the criminal law, with the result that exhibitions of the grosser sorts have been largely stamped out. The Postmaster-General has also recently issued a public notification that the transmission of such postcards by the post is a serious criminal offence. As regards the exhibitions which are of a demoralising and disgusting character, though not coming within the law relating to obscene exhibitions, I hope that when I have an opportunity of passing the Bill which has been prepared to give effect to the recommendations of the Joint Committee on indecent publications and advertisements, it may enable effective action to be taken.